Meat-tendering machine



NOV. 6, 1934,. w. SANFQRD r AL 1,979,494

MEAT TENDERING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1952 5 shets-sheet 1 Nov. 6, 1934. F. w. SANFORD El AL 1,979,494

MEAT TENDERING' MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-1.3

NOV. 5, 1 934. I w SANFQRD AL 1,979,494

MEAT TENDERING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1932 '5 She'ets-Sheet 3 Sitcom/if Patented Nov. 6, 1934 1,979,494; MEAT-TENDERING MACHINE Frank w. Sanford and Frank. G. Mam-n, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to KatherineGund, Cleveland, Ohio Application November 15, 1932, Serial No. 642,730

7 Claims. (CI, 17-27) 50 inafter.

This invention relates to meat-tendering machines and has for its general object to provide a machine of sturdy economical construction adapted to eiliciently macerate steak and other meat. l

A further object of the invention is to providef means for adjusting the bed plate" of the machine with respect to the macerating roll.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for readily removing the bed plate and macerating roll for cleansing purposes.

Another object is the provision of means for guiding the macerating, roll back to operative position after removal for cleaning.

" 9 Other objectsand advantages of the invention will be apparent as the specification is considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings; in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the meat-tendering 3 machine showing the roll in working position above the bed plate;

Figure 2 is a side view of the meat-tendering machine;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal-sectional view through the machine shown in Figure 1, the

section being taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal-sectional view similar to Figure 3 with the exception that the roll is supported in the pocket at one sideof the machine, the section being taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a rear side view of the machine; and a Figure 6 is a cross sectional view throughthe ,35 machine and the roller thereof, the bed plate being shown in elevated position.

- Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a rectangular housing comprising side walls 2 and end walls 3, the top and bottom of ,40 the housing being open to permit removal of the bedlplate 4 and cleansing of the bed plate supporting and adjusting mechanism, as may be required from time to time. Bed plate 4, which is preferably of rectangular shape and of any suitable material such as aluminum is adapted to seat snugly within the confines of the four walls of the housing, but is free to be elevated and lowered therein with respect to the macerating roller or cylinder 5, described here- The upper face of the plate 4 is formed with longitudinally disposed parallel substantially V-shaped ridges 6 and grooves 7 of equal cross sectional area and extending from end to end of the plate. The front end wall of the housing and the front end of the bed plate are formed with cut-out portions 8 and 9 respectively to facilitate removal of the plate in an obvious manner.

Squared shafts l0 and 11 are respectively mounted for rotation in the front and rear ends of the housing, the rounded extremities 12 of the shafts'extendin'g through openings 13 formed in the side walls for this purpose. Fixed to each shaft 10 and 11 are two pairs of arms 14, each pair of which rotatably supports a roller 15 at its outer ends. The front and rear ends of bed plate 4 rest upon and are antifrictionally supported by these rollers. When the arms 14 are in normal vertical position the bed plate will be supported at proper elevation with respect to the macerating roll 5 to permit these members to effectively treat meat of minimum thickness, say one-half inch. The arms 14 androllers 15 are preferably lowered when meat of greater thickness is to be treated, or where it is desired to subject the meat to less than the maximum tendering action; This is accomplished by means of a lever 16 fixed to one end of a squared shaft 17 which shaft in turn is rotatably mounted in the'side walls of the housing, about midway of. and parallel to shafts 10 and 11. Links 18 and 19 pivotally connected at their outer ends to .the innermost arms of the pairs of arms 14, on the respective shafts 10 and 11, are connected at their inner ends to opposite ends of a bell crank 20 fixed to intermediate shaft 17, thus operatively connecting the three shafts together. Any suitable means, such as the ratchet segment 21 and pawl 22, may be employed to lock the lever 16 in any desired adjusted position.

The side walls 2 of the housing extend considerably beyond and above the end walls 3 and are formed with longitudinal slots 23 in which the roller 5 is guided in its movement across the bed plate 4. Roller 5 is formed with substantially V-shaped annular parallel grooves 24 and disks or teeth 25 which are adapted to interengage with the grooves and ridges in bed plate 4 of the same pitch as that of the grooves and disks.

Roll 5 is provided with gears 26 fixed to its opposite reduced ends which travel upon rack bars 2'? secured to the side walls of the housing substantially flush with the bottom wall 28 of slots 23, a crank handle 29 being provided for imparting rotary and horizontal movement. Rollers 30 of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of gear wheels 26, loosely mounted on opposite ends of roll ,5, between said ends and tate replacement after cleaning.

said gear wheels, engage the top wall 31 of slots 23, with anti-friction effect as the roll is propelled over the rack bars by turning crank handie 29. Stops 32, formed on the side walls 2 adjacent one end of slots 23 and rack bars 27, prevent roll 5 from running off the racks at one end of the machine and combined guide and stop arms 33 33 serve the same purpose at the other end.

Steak or other meat placed on the bed plate will be materially improved by the tendering action of the opposing ridges 6 and disks 25, which tend to break down the tough tendons or cords without breaking the juice pockets or fracturing the cell structure. The disks or ridges press the meat into the grooves 7 and 24 with a i'ending or stretching effect as distinguished from a cutting action which would tend to puncture the meat and liberate the juice. It should also be noted that the disks 25 and ridges 6 engage the meat from opposite sides thus materially increasing the number of cocking areas or exposed cooking surfaces which would otherwise be produced if butone side of the meat be acted upon in this manner. Any increase in cooking surface results in a corresponding improvement in flavor. It will of course be understood that the disks 25 and ridges 6 do not extend clearto the bottom of the respective grooves 7 and 24, and therefore that an unfractured film of meat will always remain which holds the meat in onepiece.

The arms 33-33 are fixed to opposite ends of a shaft 34 rotatably mounted in the side walls 2 of housing 1 adjacent the front end of the latter. A latch bar or member 35 pivotally secured to stop arm 33 is adapted to securely lock the shaft 34 arms 3333' in either of two adjusted positions when one of the notches 36 and 37 of the latch arm engages over a locking pin 38 secured to one of the side walls 2. Notch 36 maintains the arms 33-33 in rearwardly inclined inoperative position, and notch 3'7 secures them in their normal upright or operative position, so that the reduced ends 39 of macerating roll or cylinder 5 will engage and snugly seat within the curved portions 40 of these arms, when roll 5 has reached the forward limit of its movement on rack bars 27.

Guide slots 23 open at their forward ends into a semicylindrical sheet metal pocket 41, extending across the front end of the housing, which pocket is designed to hold the roll 5, temporarily preparatory to removal for cleaning or to facili- When it is desired to remove roll 5, notch 37 of latch arm 35 is released from engagement with pin 38, whereupon the roll together with the arms can be moved rearwardly and downwardly until the roll seats in pocket 41, and further movement of the arms 33-33 is arrested by notch 36 automatically engaging pin 38. Roll 5 is then slid laterally out of the smooth cylindrical pocket without danger of damage to the peripheral edges of disk shaped teeth 25. In returning the roll to operative position upon the rack bars 27 from pocket 41, it is merely necessary to swing the guide and stop arms 33-33 upwardly and forwardly until notch 37 engages pin 38. During the initial movement of the arms, the curved portions 40 thereof engage the reduced ends 39 of the roll and consequently continued movement will cause the roll to be lifted upwardly and forwardly into slots 23 and into mesh with the teeth of the rack bars. It should be noted that when the arms 33-33 are engaging the reduced ends of roll 5, the gear wheels 26 of the latter will be maintained in direct alinement with the rack bars. Consequently when these arms are swung forwardly they will cause the gear wheels to mesh with corresponding teeth on their respective rack bars. This would require considerable care on the part of the operator in the absence of the guide arms.

The housing 1 is preferably mounted on a rectangular base frame 42 of open construction comprising angle iron side and end members 43 and 44 respectively, legs 45 connected to the four corners of the frame being provided with screw openings 46 to facilitate attachment to a suitable support, not shown. The upper ends of the front legs project slightly above the side and end members, and are provided with rearwardly bent portions or flanges 47 which engage a rib 48, on the front end wall of the housing and hold that end of the housing to the base. A set screw 49 mounted in a bracket 50 secured to the rear end of the base, locks the housing against accidental displacement; however, removal can be readily accomplished in an obvious manner.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a meat-tendering device, a housing having oppositely disposed guide slots, a macerating roll mounted for rotary movement in said slots, at bed plate beneath said roll, means for elevating and lowering the plate with respect to the roll, means for rotating the roll, a guide pocket at one end of said slots, and means for lowering the roll into said pocket.

2. In a meat-tendering device, a support having guide slots therein, a macerating roll mounted for rotary travel in said slots, a bed plate cooperating with said roll, means for rotating said roll to cause the same to travel in said slots across said bed plate, a pocket at one end of said support into which said slots open,-

and means for arresting the movement of said roll and for guiding said roll into said pocket.

3. In a meat-tendering device, a bed plate, a

macerating roll mounted for rotary movement above and across said bed plate, means for rotating said roll, guides for said roll, a pocket below said guides adapted to removably receive said roll, pivoted arms at one end of said guides for limiting the movement of said roll in one direction, and for lowering said roll into said pocket.

4. In a meat-tendering device, a support, a

bed plate, means to prevent longitudinal and transverse movement of said plate, said bed plate being mounted for vertical movement in said support, rack bars on said support, a macerating roll having gear wheels for travel over said bars and means arranged adjacent to one end of said bars for removing said roll from said bars and for guiding the gear wheels of said roll back into mesh with said bars.

5. In a meat-tendering device, a vertically movable bed plate and a support therefor, rack bars on said support, a removable macerating roll having gear wheels in mesh with said rack bars for rotatably supporting said roll above said bed plate, means for rotating theroll, and pivotally mounted arms adjacent one end of said bars for moving said roll from and back to said bars.

6. In a meat-tendering device, a vertically movable bed plate and a support therefor, rack rack bars and movable across said bed plate when said roll is rotated, means for rotating said roll, said r011 having reduced ends and armspivoted to opposite sides of the support at one end thereof, said arms having curved seat portions in which the said reduced portions of said roll seat when moved to one end of the support, whereby said roll can be swung away from and guided back into mesh with said rack bars.

FRANK W. SANFORD. FRANK G. MARBACH. 

